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While the design industry is moving into new domains, it seems that potential customers do not always understand how the designer can contribute beyond the aesthetically appealing product. The overall purpose of this thesis is to expand our understanding of design as an enabling service in the context of small and medium sized enterprises. Enabling design services have the potential to result in o
Type 2 diabetes is characterised by defects in insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion and increased endogenous glucose production. The relative contribution of each of these defects remains controversial. In order to characterise the metabolic defects in various stages of glucose tolerance, the insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion was measured in a large population based study in Finland and
Parasitic plants are found in nearly every major terrestrial ecosystem and can be divided into two groups, holoparasites (lacking chlorophyll) and hemiparasites (chlorophyllous). The host-parasite connection is either situated above (stem parasites) or below ground (root parasites). In this thesis I examine the host-parasite interactions, host range and selection, and population dynamics of four r
The concept of district heating (DH) involves centralised heat production where heat is distributed to consumers via a piping network. It is essential that benefits achieved from concentrated, large-scale production instead of local production in each building exceed the costs associated with heat distribution. Since the distribution cost per delivered kWh increases as the heat density of an area
Intraabdominal adhesions are formed after most operations and a limited number of studies have to examine the long-term spectrum of adhesion-related disorders and the cost associated with this. Only a few numbers of antiadhesive agents are available which, however, do not decrease the actual morbidity that follows intraabdominal adhesions, such as small bowel obstruction, infertility and pain. Fut
Microorganisms are ubiquitous in indoor air and epidemiological data suggest that inhalation of microbes and/or their products adhered on air–borne dust particles can impair well–being and health. In the present thesis microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) and cellular markers were studied by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). By using solid phase microextraction (SPME) combined
This thesis intends to answer the question: How was the narrative of the mission in China formulated and used to engender and sustain the fervour of the friends of the mission in the 1890s? It was at this time, with growing unemployment, lack of housing, and of poverty – a time when new and challenging ideas emerge – that the interest in the missions to China awoke. The context of the missionary n
The overall interest pursued in this thesis is how the former socialist economies of Central and Eastern Europe can build strong and dynamic systems of innovation. The purpose of the thesis is to investigate the dynamics and evolution of the telecommunications system of innovation in Estonia from the late Soviet period to Estonia's EU accession, and to provide an in-depth explanation of how innova
Renewable energy sources dominated the world energy supply until the beginning of the 20th century, when fossil energy became the dominant energy source worldwide. Today, fossil fuels contribute to over 80% of world energy supply. But there are two major reasons why fossil energy use has to stop. First, fossil energy is limited and will not last forever. Second, emissions of carbon dioxide change
Several different hormones are released from the intestine following a meal. In this thesis we have focused on the so called incretin hormones, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). An important function of the incretin hormones is potentiation of insulin release from pancreatic beta-cells following a meal. This property has attracted a lot of inte
Islet hormone secretion is tightly regulated by metabolic status as well as local and circulating factors. These factors can activate different receptors on the pancreatic islet cells, for instance G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). When activated, these receptors are able to fine-tune islet hormone secretion and regulate overall β-cell function. Estrogen and serotonin are circulating factors
Similar policies may be found in different countries. This, in turn, is an indication that policies travel. But why are certain policies imitated while others are not? The author seeks to further our understanding of policy diffusion and its dynamics by investigating how foreign ideas are integrated and translated into new contexts, and how these imported ideas influence national policymaking and
The competition in the banking industry has during the last decades been intensified resulting in smaller interest margins. As a consequence, the resources spent on each credit customer have had to be decreased, resulting in less interaction and a perceived limited access to valuable information. This has especially been the case in the banks´credit management of small firms. Earlier research app
Defective insulin secretion from the pancreatic B-cells is a central feature in type 2 diabetes (T2D). There is a strong hereditary component in type T2D, but the underlying pathophysiology remains largely unknown. This thesis uses a combination of gene network analysis and cell-physiological techniques to explore the genetic and cellular basis for impaired insulin secretion in T2D. We found that
